SWPH Conducting Feasibility Study for Consumption and Treatment Services

Data collection to be completed in March 2023, with a final report anticipated later this year

February 9, 2023 -- A feasibility study is underway in the Southwestern Public Health region to analyze the perceived need, support, and service models available for Consumption and Treatment Services. The study’s geography will span Elgin County, Oxford County, and the City of St. Thomas.

The health unit has formed an external advisory committee to consult with local figures from various sectors. These groups include community agencies, business associations and local chambers of commerce, emergency services, healthcare providers, Indigenous organizations, municipal departments, local politicians, people with lived experience of substance use, and public health alongside its Board of Health. 

Focus groups and interviews to inform the study are being conducted with the help of this committee. The committee extended an invitation to local community partners to participate in targeted focus groups, however, attendance at these sessions is now filled.

A survey will be issued later this month to invite public input. Southwestern Public Health will share details of this survey via news media, social media, and on its website www.swpublichealth.ca.

“The opioid crisis has a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities. It is a crisis that affects everyone, not only those living in large urban centres,” says Dr. Ninh Tran, Medical Officer of Health. “COVID-19 exacerbated this crisis, and we have observed an increase in overdose deaths locally.”

According to data from April 2021 to March 2022, there were 43 opioid-related deaths in the Southwestern Public Health region, representing 20.5 deaths for every 100,000 people. This is above the Provincial opioid-related death rate of 18.7 per 100,000 people.

Data collection is expected to be completed in March 2023, with a final report prepared later this year.

“While we cannot speculate what the feasibility study data will say, we know that conducting this study is a critical step to addressing such a complex public health concern,” says Dr. Tran.

Consumption and treatment services provide comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence-based services that support prevention, harm reduction, and treatment for people who use drugs.